Professor Who Asked Black Students Not to Skip Class Despite Death Threats Resigns

Update: According to NBC News, the University of Missouri has rejected Brigham’s resignation.

University of Missouri Professor Dale Brigham resigned on Thursday amid a mounting backlash against his suggestion that African-American students should not skip class despite the fact that several threats had been made against them.

“If you don’t feel safe coming to class, then don’t come to class,” Brigham wrote in an email to his class. “I will be there, and there will be an exam administered in our class. If you give into bullies, they win. The only way bullies are defeated is by standing up to them. If we cancel the exam, they win; if we go through with it, they lose.“

“I know which side I am on,” Brigham added. “You make your own choice.”

The reply did not sit well with many African-American students who felt Brigham was trivializing the death threats which were posted online.